Page 125 - WILMINGTON

Saint Catherine of Siena
1960
WILMINGTON
In 1960
amid the the great suburban growth of the the 50s in in in the the Millcreek Hundred west of of Wilmington St Catherine of of Siena
parish was formed Founding pastor Fr James Willard Lutz a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a a Marine Corps chaplain in World War II rallied the the the men of the the the parish to re t t t t t the the the old barracks at at Greater Wilmington Airport to to begin a a a a a a a parochial school Within ve ve years church school and convent had been built Though St Catherine’s never numbered more than a a a a thousand households it frequently experienced over one hundred baptisms and rst Holy Communions yearly throughout the 1960s Members a a a mixture of blue and white collar willingly worked to support the effort The liturgical reforms of Vatican II and the new CCD classes stirred a a spirit of ministry CYO drew many youth In the 1970s our school enrollment diminished while CCD and youth ministry blossomed Adult growth in in faith was aided by dynamic processes like RENEW and Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) In the the early 1990s Mexican immigrants appeared in the the apartments on the edge of our parish Spanish Mass and bilingual religious
instruction soon began As the the original members aged and their children children and and grandchildren moved our new members restored the the wonder of of the the beginning years with numbers of of baptisms and First Communions again exceeding 100 per year And the St Vincent de Paul Society did heroic outreach St Catherine of Siena
has had a a a a a a a a vital Hispanic dimension integrating with “Anglo” members old and new When the parochial school merged in in in 2011 to All Saints and as the number of our children in in in public school grows the the parish has involved itself with other city and county Christian Churches to work for the good of families in the Red Clay Consolidated School District We have also taken on on support for a a a a a a school and and parish in Uganda This “outreach to the periphery” is is is our new mission to to other Christians to to local society and and abroad to to to the African Church We seek to to to reconcile to to to unite and and share the Good News in a a a way proper to our time 123